Research On Mechanisms Of Distributors’ Long-Term Orientation Towards Suppliers In The Distribution Channels

As we know that, in addition to the manufacturers and consumers, all the members indistribution channels such as distributors, retailers, agents, suppliers can be calleddistributors. Distributors (the buyer) shows the Long-Term Orientation on thesuppliers (seller), which means the distributor have willingness on the continuingcooperation, mutual perception, and commitment to sacrifice short-term interest inorder to achieve long-term common interests. With the increasingly close ties ofcooperation between buyers and sellers (distributors and suppliers), cooperation withsuppliers is key way for enterprises to improve their performance and create acompetitive advantage, so build up long-term relationship between buyers and sellershas become to an important way to improve cooperation performance.Based on the perspective of the buyer (the distributor), this study combined with thePower (Resources) Dependency Theory, Social Exchange Theory and TransactionCost Theory, has studied the formation of Long-Term Orientation and its influencingfactors between the buyers and sellers. Base an empirical study of326validquestionnaires from different industries, this study has found: Firstly, the distributors’perception of the suppliers’ role performance has a positive effect on distributors’satisfaction (including satisfaction and social satisfaction) and the distributorslong-term orientation is positively related to distributors satisfaction; Secondly, therelationship activities between the supplier and distributors has a negatively effect on Long-TermOrientation; Thirdly, the distributor dependence has a positive effect on Long-Term Orientationand play a moderating effect between the supplier role performance and distributor satisfaction,the more the distributors rely on the supplier, the more effect between distributors economicsatisfaction and suppliers role performance; but there is no moderating effect on the relationshipbetween distributor social satisfaction and the supplier role performance.